


be near me

by typeriter



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Established Relationship, Friendship, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Unplanned Pregnancy, taeten centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:21:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21755188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/typeriter/pseuds/typeriter
Summary: As far as Taeyong's concerned, for as long as he's been dating Johnny, his boyfriend's best friend has never warmed up to him.Which is why, for the life of him, Taeyong can't tell why Ten's waiting alone outside his door.
Relationships: Lee Taeyong & Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 16
Kudos: 206





	be near me

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoy!

Ten shines. It's undeniable that he's radiant wherever he goes, smile glistening as brightly as the flecks of glitter he lines his feline eyes with, as brightly as the sly twinkle in them. He moves through life, seemingly untouchable, with a charming grin, a light giggle and a subtle sharpness in his eyes that hints towards intelligence. To a lesser omega, he'd be absolutely terrifying - but to Taeyong, he's just the source of great confusion. 

It's funny, actually, because things started out amicably between the two of them - Ten had been the one to approach Taeyong while he was coming out of the arts department building, smiling sweetly and with that endearing bounce in his step typical of underclassmen. He'd been quick to compliment Taeyong on his beauty, his fashion sense, how his scent really was just as nice as people said. That day, Taeyong had finally been able to put a name to the pretty face he'd seen at the parties Yuta would drag him to, and learned three things about Ten: He's Thai, he loves to dance, and he really, _really_ loves to have fun. 

Things proceeded well enough after that. The two of them would occasionally see each other on campus and nod to the other, they became mutuals on Instagram, and Taeyong realized after watching a few of his posts that Ten might possibly be the best dancer he's ever seen in his life.

Eventually, Taeyong finally made the connection that one of the reasons he'd been able to remember Ten's face was because he was Johnny Seo's best friend - a campus heartthrob, the life of every party, and the alpha that Taeyong was so attracted to it _hurt._ Once the two of them finally got together after sophomore year, Ten's demeanor towards him changed. 

It's not like things are actively hostile between them. It's just that Taeyong feels an intentional distance that Ten puts up whenever they interact, be it in the rehearsed smiles he gives him or the insistence upon nabbing all of _his_ boyfriend's attention. It doesn't help that Johnny and Ten have a tendency to slip into English whenever they're together, leaving Taeyong struggling to translate in real-time and with renewed determination to stop ignoring his Duolingo notifications.

He's wondered if Ten secretly harbors unrequited feelings for Johnny, which wasn’t unheard of in close friendships between an alpha and omega, but Johnny's always been quick to assure Taeyong that wasn't the case:

"Ten's my brother - we love each other, but not in that way."

This makes complete sense, given that Taeyong's noticed their interactions consist of a fair amount of twelve-year-old humor. However, Taeyong also has a compulsive need for verbal affirmation and is pretty sure that the two of them have an _'If neither one of us has a mate by age thirty..._ ' agreement, so he presses Johnny about it sometimes. 

"It's really not like that, honestly. We're, like, platonic soulmates."

Taeyong had given an exaggerated pout in response, turning on the doe eyes that no alpha's ever been able to resist. No omega has ever liked hearing their alpha call someone else their soulmate, no matter the context. “And I thought you told me that _I_ was your soulmate last night." 

"Baby," Johnny had chuckled lightly, shifting his gaze away from the television. _Baby_. Taeyong loved how the English term of endearment fell so naturally off of his tongue. He was someone's _baby_. "There's never going to be anyone else - you know you've ruined me for every other omega ever, right?"

"Maybe you could remind me," Taeyong had whispered, trying out a seductive tone. He could feel the heat of embarrassment stirring, but he prayed Johnny wouldn't be able to tell.

He was in luck - his boyfriend's reaction had been everything he wanted and more. As if on command, Johnny's eyes had glossed almost immediately with adoration, like Taeyong was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. And Taeyong's been the subject of that gaze countless times, but it's never taken his breath away before Johnny. 

"Lee Taeyong," He had murmured lowly, leaning over Taeyong, forcing him to lie back on the arm of the couch. "You have no idea what you do to me."

Ahem. Anyway.

Taeyong is protective with his heart, and spares his affections only for those who he knows will treasure them, will treasure _him_. And Johnny Seo, in all his 6-footed, Chicago-born, cheeky-grinned glory, has only been his for three months, but even from Taeyong (admittedly-limited) romantic relationship experience he has a sinking suspicion that he may very well be the one. The speed and intensity of his feelings is just as magical as it is terrifying. However, planning your life around an outgoing, extremely-loving person means that Taeyong will have to spend the rest of it with the people Johnny loves the most - AKA Ten. 

The old Taeyong would've probably scoffed at the idea of having to _try_ to impress some random omega, no matter how talented, pretty and popular that random omega might be. Fine, he's not proud of his past attitude, but Taeyong's been on a self-betterment grind ever since he graduated high school. If that means getting on the nice side of someone who pulled an Uno-reverse-card in their behavior towards him, Taeyong's willing to do it - he's a man in love, okay? 

But despite Taeyong's clumsy attempts at starting conversation, it always ends the same way: Ten shoots him a brief, polite smile before slipping away as quickly as possible, likely in search of a new victim, a stranger's arm to drip off of for a night. As far as Taeyong's concerned, for as long as he's been dating Johnny, his boyfriend's best friend has never warmed up to him.

Which is why, for the life of him, Taeyong can't tell why Ten's waiting alone outside his door, the little silver constellations in his ears glistening as brightly as ever.

"May I come in?" He repeats himself, voice lilting softly with the slightest hint of an accent.

"Johnny's not here," Taeyong ventures cautiously, hand poised awkwardly on the door as if he'd have to close the door at any second.

"I was looking for you, actually." Despite his relaxed stance, Ten looks him right in the eye with an intensity that Taeyong isn't sure how to interpret - though he's instinctively wary, there's nothing in Ten's demeanor that indicates he's here with any ill intent.

Taeyong prays that his voice doesn't relay his surprise as he rushes to respond, stepping back to swing the front door wide open. "Yes. Of course, come on in." 

Ten smoothly detaches himself from the wall he'd been leaning against, almost liquid in his movement, and glides into Taeyong's apartment with the comfort of someone who's been here thousands of times. It makes sense that he and Johnny are friends, Taeyong supposes, both moving through life with an unrivaled sense of confidence. 

His apartment's not large by any stretch of the imagination, but Taeyong knows he's doing the best he can for a university student. He'd recently tried living with Yuta, but Taeyong soon found that he didn't have any sense of basic tidiness. Soon enough, they had mutually agreed to salvage their dwindling friendship by seeking other arrangements. Now, Taeyong's able to keep a neat home for himself and Ruby at a manageable price, as long as he keeps on picking up extra shifts at work.

Despite this, Taeyong still can't help but feel slightly defensive as Ten steps in and slips off his designer sneakers, silently scanning over the small living area and kitchen. Every time the two of them have hung out before, it had always been at Johnny and Jaehyun's place or out in the city. Always in a group, too. 

The two omegas stand there for a few seconds, basking in the shared awkwardness of the moment. The smell of the tteokbokki Taeyong had just made for dinner wafts through the room, but his scent is even stronger, saturated into the walls and all the furniture. 

At the arrival of an unfamiliar person, Ruby jumps down from where she'd been curled up on the couch, collar charms jingling with every prance towards the doorway. Ten wrinkles his nose and jerks away slightly as soon as the little papillon pounces on him, white tail wagging furiously. "Down, puppy, down-"

"Ruby!" Taeyong quickly moves to pick up one of her (many) squeaky toys to shift her attention away from Ten, who clearly was not fond of unfamiliar dogs jumping on him - no matter how absolutely precious, adorable, and absolutely perfect that dog was. Listen, Taeyong wants to make things work with Ten, but he refuses to do so at the expense of Ruby’s livelihood. That's his baby, after all. 

With Ruby distracted, Taeyong turns his attention back to Ten. "Please, make yourself at home," he gestures towards the grey couch. "Would you like anything to drink? Water? Coffee? I think I might even have some apple juice, if you'd like."

Ten wrinkles his nose slightly at the last suggestion as he moves to settle on the couch. "I'll have some water, thank you." 

Taeyong hums under his breath quietly as he fetches a couple of glasses of water for them, a little melody he'd been working on recently. He has absolutely no idea why Ten would come to talk to him, but a part of him hopes that it's to work out whatever awkwardness lies between them. As he sets two glasses of water down on the coffee table, however, Ten's face looks far too heavy for the visit to be anything along those lines. 

Taeyong immediately feels dread pool in his stomach. 

Ten finally looks him dead in the eye, and something about his expression gives Taeyong the sense that he's pleading for him to look at him and listen. Then, he opens his mouth: 

"I think I'm pregnant."

Oh.

Shit. 

Taeyong isn't sure if he's accidentally verbalized his thoughts, but he supposes his expression must give it away regardless, given that Ten immediately turns his head away from him. Taeyong's chest begins to ache at the gesture, ashamed for hurting Ten. For whatever reason, the omega had come to him specifically for help. Not Johnny, not any of the beautiful people that he surrounds himself with. Taeyong couldn't be the one losing his mind.

"Ten,” Taeyong tentatively begins, licking his lips. His throat feels dry all of a sudden. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but... do you know who the father is?"

Ten won't meet his eyes, focusing on a loose thread on the couch. He's chewing on his bottom lip aggressively, but Taeyong can still see the way it quivers. Eventually, he nods.

Taeyong feels the tightness in his chest lessen immediately. Alright, this they could work with. He'd been worried at first, knowing that Ten had the tendency to be generous with his affection, so at least they didn't have to worry about narrowing someone down. 

On second glance, however, Taeyong begins to realize that his relief may have been a bit premature. Ten looks more troubled than ever, his breathing becomes more audible and his panic visibly growing with each passing second. 

"I-" he chokes, "I'm not irresponsible, I swear. We were so careful-" 

It's almost like a switch flips, the sight of another omega looking so vulnerable and so in pain stirring some instinctual need to protect. He can’t control it, Taeyong embraces Ten and begins to release his scent all over him, purring and cooing softly, like he would to comfort a pup. 

"I just can't believe I did this to him, he doesn't deserve it, he-" Ten's sobs are cut off by a wet, hoarse gasp for air against Taeyong's neck, where his head is now resting on his shoulder. 

"I know, sweetie, I know," Taeyong hums to him, rubbing circles into Ten's back as he shakes. He doesn't know - he doesn't know at all, and despite all the shit Taeyong's gone through in his life, he doesn't think he's ever felt his heart shatter for someone else until now.

Ten doesn't stop trembling, hiccuping, and when he starts grasping onto Taeyong over and over, as if trying to pull him even closer than they already are, Taeyong forcibly detaches himself from the other omega briefly to pull the blanket off the arm of the couch and wrap it around the two of them. It still smells like Johnny from when he was over a couple of nights ago, and Ten’s reaction is instantaneous. He melts, collapsing completely onto Taeyong, his arms going limp at his sides. 

It takes a long time, but Taeyong waits until he's sure Ten's done pouring his heart out, until his breathing has slowed to an even pace, using some of the techniques his therapist likes to tell him about. 

“I know this sounds like bullshit, but it's really going to be okay," Taeyong murmurs, combing his fingers through raven locks. "You're not a bad person at all, and no matter what happens.You have options too - have you been to the doctor or done any tests?” 

Ten's voice is stuffy and very, very small. “I don’t want to yet.” 

Taeyong takes that as a clear sign to drop the subject and stop pushing Ten, content to offer him as much support as possible with his pheromones and physical contact. It makes it all the more surprising when Ten is the one to initiate the conversation next. 

"Taeyong? Thank you." He whispers, snuggling further into the crook of his neck. 

“No problem. You can come to me anytime, for anything.” 

The question Taeyong's been repeating in his mind must come out more clearly in his speech than he expected, because Ten slowly detaches himself from Taeyong, sitting back to look him in the eye. His face is swollen and bright pink. "You're probably wondering why the fuck I came to you of all people." 

Taeyong's never been a good liar, and Ten doesn't seem to be bothered at all by his curiosity, so he nods slightly. 

Ten gives a ragged chuckle and shrugs limply. He's looking away again, somewhere off to the side, eyes ringed in black by smudged liner. 

“I don't know, to be honest. I guess... it just seemed like the right thing to do. You have your shit together and everything, you know? Also, I don't-" Ten hesitates, biting on his lip once. “I don’t really have close omega friends here in Seoul. Oh my god, I'm so fucking embarrassed.” 

Ten groans and places his face in his hands, the blanket slipping off his shoulders. Taeyong can't help the tiny smile that takes over his face at the strangely adorable display. 

"Hey, I think you're forgetting that I'm right here," Taeyong nudges him playfully, attempting to entice the younger boy into lowering his hands from his face. 

Ten looks up and offers him a small, tentative smile. It's a far cry from the beaming display Taeyong's used to seeing, but it suits him much better than the violent crying he'd just been doing. And, he realizes suddenly, it's the first time Taeyong's received one from him in a long time.

“Johnny’s crazy about you, you know." The omega hums, his voice suddenly sounding very distant. His eyes trail down Taeyong's face and back up again, over and over. "I've seen him in love before, but never like this, you know? Sometimes he just... disappears because of it." Ten lifts a hand to slowly wave it in front of his face as if trying to grab onto something invisible, eyes focused on some distance point. 

Taeyong chuckles dryly, closing his eyes. "Is the obligatory shovel talk coming?" 

He'd never gotten it from Jaehyun, the boyfriend's roommate, who'd simply blinked at Taeyong and said, "You don't need it. You'll never hurt John, you're just as far gone as he is." 

Ten attempts a weak laugh, still coming out slightly stilted and wet from the remnants of his tears. Right after, he sits straight up and fixes Taeyong with his signature piercing gaze.

"Lee Taeyong," he begins, voice steady with new conviction. "If you ever do anything - _anything -_ to hurt Johnny Seo, I will track you down, beat your bony ass to death, and I _will_ get away with it because I'll hire a maid service to clean up the evidence. And then I will sell your tiny dog on the black market."

Taeyong gasps with mock indignation at his mention of Ruby, but he can't contain the butterflies of happiness fluttering in him that they've finally reached this point. 

Ten rolls his eyes playfully. "Okay, you're right, I'll probably just send it to Bangkok to be eaten by all the other dogs my sister takes in." 

"I also have a sister," Taeyong replies. He's not quite sure why. 

Ten hums in response, and the two of them stop to look at each other for a while, coming to terms with all that had just occurred between them. It feels like Taeyong's seeing Ten, really seeing him for the first time, and he hopes Ten feels the same. 

Eventually, the two of them fall into silence and lie back on the couch. Neither one of them feels particularly inclined to fill the emerging silence. Lots of time must have passed since Ten showed up at his door. There's barely any natural light coming in through the single window, leaving the two of them cocooned in near darkness, drowsy from the emotional exhaustion and the warmth under the blanket. Yet despite his exhaustion, Taeyong knows sleep won't come to him until he addresses the elephant in the room. 

"Are you going to tell him?" Taeyong ventures cautiously, shattering the silence. 

It takes a long time for the answer to come. "I can't do that."

 _It's not his fault, it's not his fault,_ Ten had sobbed into his shoulder only a while earlier. 

"Ten-" Taeyong starts, but Ten quickly cuts him off with an intensity unexpected for someone so close to sleep. 

"You don't understand," he slurs softly as he drifts away, eyes drooping. "He's not just anyone. He's _the_ one." 

After that, Taeyong's the only one awake, left alone in the echoes of Ten's words. They carried so much more than he had probably intended - reverence, resignation.

Complete, painful adoration.

Sitting there, in the silence, Taeyong feels very much like an intruder in his own home. Because he knows those words were something not meant for his ears, perhaps not meant for anyone ever except for Ten. 

The text comes two weeks later. Taeyong's holed up in the library, getting a headstart on preparing for his midterms when a notification from Kakao interrupts:

_negative_

_[14:42]_

He scrambles to grab his phone and quickly unlock it, attracting the attention of one very sleep-deprived boyfriend, sitting across the table from him. 

"Babe?" Johnny frowns, glancing up from his laptop screen for the first time in two hours, immersed in completing an entire essay before it's due tonight. "Everything okay?" 

Taeyong looks up from his phone screen after he finishes typing his response - a simple smiley face, but he hopes it conveys his true meaning - and plasters a cheerful, disarming smile onto his face. "Yeah, everything's perfect." 

Really. He means it. 

**Author's Note:**

> you guys have no idea how close I was to really making the shit hit the fan in this fic lol 
> 
> i’m fully aware there’s no context or backstory but does anyone wanna guess who the father is? 
> 
> i’m thinking about expanding this universe... lmk what you think in the comments
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/kittaphons)


End file.
